1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to golf training and practice devices, and more particularly to a golf putting aid which utilizes an adjustable cross hair sighting member spaced above the ball positioned relative to a desired ball path and may be used with a lower ball alignment member having corresponding cross hairs such that the upper and lower sighting and alignment members may be used to position the head of the putter perpendicular to the desired ball path.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In making a successful putting shot, it is important for the golfer to keep his head steady and to make sure that the "sweet spot" of the putter head contacts the ball on center and that the face of the putter is perpendicular to the desired ball path throughout the stroke.
There are several patents which disclose training and practice aids to help the golfer to keep his head steady, most of which are used during a drive or fairway shot and do not train the golfer in determining a proper ball path and maintaining the head of the putter perpendicular to the desired ball path during a putting stroke.
British Patent 435,483 discloses a teeing device with a triangular teeing hole upon which the ball rests and a sighting device comprising a segment of a circle which is positioned above the ball to cover a portion of the ball and expose a white band around the rear of the ball representing the proper impact point to hit the ball.
British Patents 780,515 and 1,468,170, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,325 to Esterbrook disclose sighting devices having a ring or a ball which are positioned above the ball to teach a proper steady head position during the swing. There is no provision for determining the ball path or aligning the club head relative to the ball path.
Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 1,091,186 discloses another sighting device having a ring with crossed wires which is positioned above the ball to teach a proper steady head position during the swing. There is no provision for determining the ball path or aligning the club head relative to the ball path.
Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 1,677,261 discloses another sighting device having an opaque plate with a slot running at right angles to the swing of the club which is positioned above the ball to teach a proper steady head position during the swing. There is no provision for determining the ball path or aligning the club head relative to the ball path.
Gutierrez et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,570 discloses a generally rectangular U-shaped frame having an upper horizontal member which overlies the center of the lower U-shaped portion and extends substantially the length of the lower portion. The device trains the golfer to maintain the putter vertical through the back-stroke and follow-through and prevents the putter from rising at each end of the stroke.
Doerrfeld, U.S. patent discloses a golf training device having a two-piece sighting member at the end of an upwardly curving arm. The bottom piece of the sighting member has a clubhead line thereon which and the top piece has an oval sighting aperture and a swing path direction line thereon. The top piece can be rotated relative to the bottom piece such that the clubhead line can be offset with respect to the swing path line. By offsetting the clubhead relative to the swing path of the club, the golfer learns to execute a "hook" shot or a "fade" shot.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a golf putting aid having a rotatable horizontal sighting ring at the upper end of a vertical support post. The sighting ring has a ball/club path marker extending thereacross and outwardly therefrom and a clubhead alignment marker extending transversly across the sight ring to form a cross hair sight at the center of the ring. A smaller ball sight ring approximately the same diameter as a golf ball is disposed within the larger sighting ring at one side of the clubhead alignment marker. In use, the larger sighting ring is positioned such that when viewed by a golfer in a standing position, the smaller ball sight ring is superposed over the golf ball and the ball/club path marker is aligned with the desired ball path and the clubhead alignment marker will be perpendicular to the desired golf ball path. A lower ball alignment member may also be installed on the lower end of the post vertically below the sighting ring or used separately. The lower ball alignment member has lower clubhead alignment marker extending outwardly from the post, an arcuate ball receptacle at one side of the lower clubhead alignment marker, and a lower ball/club path marker extending rearwardly from the arcuate receptacle at a right angle to the lower clubhead alignment marker. The lower ball alignment member is positioned with its ball/club path marker forming an extension of the desired ball path and the cross hair sight of the upper sight ring is positioned such that the upper and lower ball/club path markers and upper and lower clubhead alignment markers are superposed.